Repaint a doll's bed

Breathe new life into an old children’s toy with a fun new look using only Resene testpots!

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 68

Paint an rainbow inspired dolls bed

You will need

Sandpaper
Testpot and small artist brushes
Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat
Resene testpots in Resene Spray x 2
Resene testpots in your choice of colours; Sarah used Resene Gelato, Resene Big Bang, Resene Golden Glow, Resene Retro, Resene Escapade, Resene Bunting.

Top tip: If you need to take more time to paint your design and you find the paint is drying a little too fast, use Resene Hot Weather Additive to help slow down the dry time.

Before

Repaint an dolls bed with a bright rainbow design

Finished dolls bed

Finished dolls bed

How to refinish a wooden toy

Step one: When Sarah found this old doll bed at her local Salvation Army store, it was not in great condition. It had a few screws loose and looked really old and dirty with watermarks on the base.

It’s always a shame to see wooden toys end up on the scrapheap so Sarah decided to give it a new lease of life with a bright and happy paint job.

First tighten the loose screws, give it a really good clean and then sand it back to prepare it for painting.

Step one

Step two

Step three

Step two: Once all the prep was complete, apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat with a testpot brush and waited for it to dry.

Step three: Apply two coats of your chosen colour to the whole bed using a testpot brush, waiting for each coat to dry completely. Sarah used Resene Spray.

Step three contd.

Step four

Step five

Step four: Decide on your rainbow of colours.

Sarah decided on a handpainted rainbow design to spruce up this bed and make it appealing for kids to play with. Sarah chose six colours for my rainbow: Resene Gelato, Resene Big Bang, Resene Golden Glow, Resene Retro, Resene Escapade and Resene Bunting.

Step five: Apply the rainbow design by marking out the shapes in pencil first and then hand paint each stripe using a small paintbrush. It can be a bit time-consuming because you have to go over each stripe with two coats. It is fun to paint freehand and you get a fantastic, imperfect result. Apply the rainbow thread to the bedhead and foot too, so that even when blankets go on, you can see the paint effect.

Job done! A bright and modern new look for an old toy. Just needs a favourite doll and a happy new home.

Step five contd.

Painted in rainbows

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints (Australia) Limited – www.resene.com